Ubuntu Thoughts

Put together a new computer for the parents - and since it'll be acting as both a desktop and a fileserver (because the current house server will be staying with me) I figured it might be time to try ubuntu.

I've only ever worked with command line linux before - except for the short time I spend using my Zaurus - so I'm really liking the different desktop choices, and the separation of the actual OS and the desktop environment.

I'm just wondering once I install a few desktops (Gnome and KDE), will the software I install for one need to be installed again on the other?

Still learning how all this works. I figure the graphical interface to things like apache and samba will all connect to the common services, But what about things like Firefox - how will that work between desktops. Or what about the user's home directory, and the user's desktop - will it contain the same files in both KDE and Gnome?

Haven't been able to install on a RAID partition yet either - I think it might be that the RAID hardware on the mainboard requires drivers that don't have a linux equivalent yet. We'll see...

A Merry Christmas To All..

That's right, Merry Christmas - not just Season's Greetings (how exactly does the season greet) or Happy Holidays (nope, not giving a blanket 'happy' wish for any holiday you choose), and definitely not a 'Happy Winter Day' (I hear that's been pushed back due to global warming).

So go ahead and have a Merry Christmas, ignore the thin skinned Scrooges that think if they can't be happy about the birth of Christ, neither can anyone else.

Have a wonderful day, but for now - Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

[Because I'm shutting down, packing up, and getting some sleep before we jump on a plane back east.]

More On Contract Jobs

True YouTube Clone $1000-3000 - We're a popular entertainment site built on PostNuke (PHP) and are now looking to add YouTube functionality to our site.

Yeah, clone YouTube for three grand. Not a problem. How about Google for 5 grand, maybe clone Windows for somewhere around 10.

More from the bid:

***You MUST have experience building video sharing sites.***You MUST send us links to LIVE, WORKING video sharing sites that you have built. NO SCREENGRABS.***You MUST be able to provide the basic video sharing script within 2 days of winning the bid (and upon payment by us), with customization to take place afterward. We are asking for this because we want to insure that you have built such sites before and are NOT doing a custom-build for us.

Oh so they're now offering a couple thousand to the people who have already have a code base. Somehow already have code that fits the project, but that's not for public sale, and they want these experienced coders to do a full customization for less than what that code is worth.

But wait, there's more:

If you've never built a video sharing site, DO NOT BID. You are only wasting our time and yours.If the site you built isn't live or does not work, DO NOT BID. You are only wasting our time and yours.

Even if I had built a video sharing site - something tells me I still wouldn't bid.

If you do not include the requested information, your bid will AUTOMATICALLY be declined. No excuses. No exceptions. Please--we're a serious business and you should be too.

I gotta think that the actual 'serious businesses' are serious enough to automatically ignore this job.

You're Welcome

Tried out Qunu, set up my account, and waited for someone to ask for help. Got a request last night, helped them find the answer to their question, and in return was rated 'OK' in my knowledge of PHP, and 'Needs to cheer up' in what I would guess is my friendliness.

Not sure how to take that.

Yes, I was friendly.

Perhaps the Qunu rating system doesn't clearly express the rating system to the end user.

Q&A - On Demand Streaming

[Figured maybe it's time to do something useful on this blog, so I'm going to start posting some of the questions I'm asked - perhaps the answers will be useful to more than the asker. We'll see.]

Hey Tim, What type of application would you suggest to stream video on a website without install any ActiveX controls and does not use windows media, real media, quicktime and such. I would like to have a video streamed quickly on a webpage and without any hindrances of people's PC's. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about.if I confused you, just let me know.

The best way - and really the most popular way right now - to do on demand streaming (on demand as in pre-recorded, not live) is to use flash. Swish (less expensive than macromedia's flash creation programs) sells a video to flash conversion program, I would assume any full fledged flash editor could be set up to do the same.

I've haven't work to much in this area yet, so I can't really recommend an process or application. I do have a project that is heading this direction - once that happens I'll probably convert the WhatStandard site to use flash.

It may also be good to provide a download link (MPEG is a good choice there) for people who don't have flash. My guess would be that most of the 'flashless' among us actively chose to be that way - considering that flash is bundled with browsers and easily installed. That type of person would know what to do with a download link, and would know how to play a MPEG file. I think it's also likely that they wouldn't have real, quicktime, or windows media installed - that's why I suggest an alternate MPEG download.

Pick Me!!!

Any one who flies airtran, you can help them pick their next destination. So for anyone in the Lehigh Valley, who loves the 'always cheap and sometimes we even get you there' service of airtran, but hates having to drive the Philadelphia, go and pick Allentown as the next destination.

Since it's airtran I'm not sure if they'd be flying into Lehigh Valley International Airport, or Queen City - but either one is closer than Philly.

Just the fax...

Japanese researchers said Sunday a bottlenose dolphin captured last month has *an extra set of fins that _could be_ the remains of back legs*, providing further evidence ocean-dwelling mammals once lived on land.

...

"I believe the fins may be remains from the time when dolphins' ancient ancestors lived on land...this is an unprecedented discovery," said Seiji Osumi, an adviser at Tokyo's Institute of Cetacean Research at a news conference televised Sunday.

Well, I guess if an adviser at the Institute of Cetacean Research believes that it's true - well than it must be.

Ink On My Mind

Saw one at the PhotoPlusExpo last year, and the vendor there only had systems for Epsons. Now that I finally have an Epson (and like it by the way), I'm thinking of getting a CIS before I have to buy anther set of cartridges.

Of course I do alot of my printing with actual printers (the people kind of printer), so not sure if it'll be worth it.

On the other hand, think I'm gonna be using the R200 series for Epson just as long as it lasts and they keep making 'em, so even if the ink outlasted the printer - no big deal.

Didn't get to the PhotoPlusExpo this year, did anyone who went see a good CIS?

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